Take what your doc advises you to take, and make sure everything you're taking has been run past a doc. We used to say, hey, can't hurt, might help! a lot with this condition, but then it turned out that supplementing vitamins C and E (on the basis of a few very positive, but small, studies) was actually causing harm. Here's the Lancet abstract, which says Concomitant supplementation with vitamin C and vitamin E does not prevent pre-eclampsia in women at risk, but does increase the rate of babies born with a low birthweight. As such, use of these high-dose antioxidants is not justified in pregnancy.

But the first initial studies looked very promising. This may also be the case with CoQ10, so I'd be very cautious indeed about taking it. Calcium does not change rate of preeclampsia but does seem to lower overall maternal blood pressure in people eating Third-World quality diets; supplementation in a population in the US had no effect whatsoever. Dietary magnesium oxide supplementation has no benefit either. Here's a review talking about dietary modifications and how they just don't work; in the calcium and baby aspirin cases this meta-analysis has been superceded by bigger randomized controlled trials, so ask your doc about those specifically.

I wish a dietary supplement would fix this, but incidence has been pretty steady worldwide and for a historical timeframe of about 2000 years, while diets and lifestyles have varied widely over that period and geographic distribution. Rates are going up in the US recently, mostly because of IVF and partly because it's heritable and more people are living through delivery these days.

Caryn, @carynjrogers, who is not a doctor and who talks about science stuff *way* too much DS Oscar born by emergent C-section at 34 weeks for fetal indicators, due to severe PEDD Bridget born by C-section after water broke at 39 weeks after a healthy pregnancy

Hi ladies I am TTC in 3 months and wanted to start taking any kind of supplements that may help by any chance in preventing or prolonging preeclampsia. I saw a great study on COq10 and will be taking that. I may do aspirin and magnesium& calcium. I have also read a study in dark chocolate reducing pREE if eaten every day. So I have those on my list! Is there anything anyone else can recommend??? and Include a study done or any information on why it may help.

Son born healthy at 5lbs 8oz at 35 weeks +2 days due to Severe PE on 7-21-09